Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2006 20:35:58 GMT From: "Al" <alistairdorenospamo.com> Subject: Re: UK Saabers only
"Craig's Saab C900 Site" <c900nospam.apana.org.au> wrote in message news:e03nj3$iud$2nospam.apana.org.au... > "Al" <alistairdorenospamo.com> writes: > >>You hit a solid object at 70mph and your brain will splatter against >>the inside of your skull, your ribs will be rammed through all your >>internal organs by your seatbelt and your neck will almost certainly >>snap. Fifth gear(the programme maker) made it clear when item was >>aired that that particullar crash was not surviveable. > >>The Smart car is a great little car round town, and if I didn't have >>two kids to pick up from school I'd have one over any other hatchback >>like a shot. Smart is only two seater, and the Smart for Four(?) is >>rubbish. > >>In a big crash you need weight and crumple zones, big crumple zones. >>Weight to reduce change of momentum in the case of you hitting an >>oncoming vehicle and crumple zones to slow the impact. (Simple Physics) > > True. The less weight the less energy to absorb so that's about the only > thing favouring smaller vehicles for crashworthiness, but they do little > to > stop the human body's momentum short of holding the torso with a seat belt > and popping balloons (oh sorry airbags!) to keep provide some degree of > bounce. > >>In fairness though Grunff I'd probably be equally dead in my C900 or >>any other vehicle going 70mph into a barrier, but I suppose in the >>Smart car it might be easier to shovel my remains into a body bag! > > That's what airbags are for! 8-) Nope, airbags are to prevent massive contusion type injuries from hitting solid bits of car like the wheel or dashboard. Although to be fair you have a point in that hitting a deflating airbag is likely to help slow the head down better. I think it's amazing that by the time my head hits an airbag it has already fully inflated and is now deflating under the weight of my body....if only Henry Ford had been alive to see it! Grunff, accepted, the Smart is definitely the small car to be in at lower speeds, though I wouldn't bet a months wages on walking away from a 50mph crash.
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